A 27-year-old Slidell man who wore a Halloween monster mask and wielded a John Wayne-style long western pistol while robbing a Slidell gas station earlier this year pleaded guilty Wednesday to armed robbery and was sentenced to 15 years in prison.

Gary Gilmore

On Jan. 7, Gary Gilmore took less than $100 from the cashier at Grumpy's Texaco at 601 Robert Blvd. Sharon Keith, 61, a hard working, salt-of-the-earth woman who works two jobs, handed the money over but not before swiping the 22-caliber pistol away and admonishing, "Get that gun out of my face!" according to Assistant District Attorney Julie Knight.

In discussing the case after the plea, Knight cautioned others about following Keith's lead. If not for Gilmore's apparent timidity, Keith could have easily been shot, she said.

Knight said that Rocarldo Weithers, 24, also of Slidell, was the robbery's mastermind. He had scoped out the station earlier and waited in the car as Gilmore struck, she said.

The armed robbery charge against Weithers is still pending.

Weithers' girlfriend, Ionjaleic Cagnolatti, also is charged with armed robbery, mainly as an accessory as she was later asked to throw out the mask and gun, authorities said.

The uniqueness of the replica-model collector's gun allowed police to narrow down their search. Weithers had stolen the gun from an acquaintance who reported the robbery to police.

The day after the heist at Grumpy's, Gilmore and Weithers allegedly robbed an adult novelty store in Waveland, Miss. The charges there are still pending against them, authorities said.

Benjamin Alexander-Bloch can be reached at bbloch@timespicayune.com or 985.898.4827.